~ Weight, Sex, and Marriage (and Motherhood); aka How to Raise Adrenaline Starved Thrill-seekers and Still be Fat and Happy.

Magic Erase

Ralphie comes home tomorrow – I decided to clean his room for him hoping that maybe he’d like to stay in it instead of going out with his friends. He’s been on his own for a month in a country where the drinking age is six – I’m anticipating an adjustment period.

For all of you parents of preteens out there, I highly recommend making cleaning your teen’s room a habit. It’s amazing what one can learn about one’s child when one cleans up after them and pokes around a bit like, perhaps, one should be breathalyzing one’s child instead of trusting that they are the only kid in town going to parties and just watching everyone else drink. I recommend cleaning in Grandpa’s golf bag in the garage or in the space between the wall and the bed. Those areas can get very cluttered.

I know it’s easier to bury one’s head in the sand (or the piles of smelly teenager clothing), but ultimately one will be happier with a well searched and tidy room, and Magic Erase makes it fun (10 years of boy dirt, gone in 10 seconds)!

Tony adds, “It’s a good idea to clean in the dresser that is turned around backwards so the drawers are up against the wall.” That’s not a new fad in teen decorating.